The continuing surge in the development of biotechnology products, e.g., therapeutic proteins and industrial bioproducts such as organic acids, has created a requirement for new and economically viable separation and purification methods and apparatus. Biochemical technologies use enzymes or microorganisms to convert feedstock to the desired products, e.g., fermentation products. In some processes, such as those practiced in a separator reactor, removal of the product from the reaction vessel during the production process will increase the product yield by reducing the concentration of the self terminating material. In other processes it may be desirable to remove by-products and contaminants to improve efficiency and yield.
It may also be desirable to remove a product from a reaction vessel in its pure form, thus eliminating further conversion of the product into some other form, such as the formation of the salt of an organic acid. The conversion process normally generates waste streams that have to be disposed of in an environmentally sensitive manner.
Methods for performing fluid/fluid separations using a continuous web system have been disclosed previously. Several approaches have been taught using continuous webs packed with sorbent particles, coated with sorbent materials or sorbent fibers. Generally, these methods follow similar procedures wherein the web is passed through a solution containing the target molecules and the web then enters a de-sorption tank where the product is collected.
These approaches have not have not provided completely satisfactory results. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,298 reports that poor performance results when chemically interactive porous particulate materials are used. The '298 patent gives a brief description of the diffusion limitation of porous materials. Thus, web separation systems employing sorbent particulate materials have not provided the desired results.
Another area of great interest is that of water remediation processes to remove contaminants from and purify water and processes for the remediation of contaminated soil. Processes which utilize granulated activated carbon are known for water and soil remediation.
As the state of the art moves forward, efforts continue to develop improved and more efficient separation processes and materials for the removal of target molecules from fluids such as in water remediation processes, the removal of contaminants from soil and for the recovery of target molecules in the preparation of biotechnical and other products.